RMD Calculator
Estimate your required minimum distribution using the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table.
Estimate based on the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. Confirm annually.
What a Required Minimum Distribution is
Traditional IRAs, 401(k)s, and other tax-deferred retirement accounts grow tax-free while the money sits inside. Eventually, the IRS wants its share. A Required Minimum Distribution, or RMD, is the smallest amount you must pull out each year once you reach the required beginning age. That amount is taxable in the year it is withdrawn.
The Uniform Lifetime Table
For most account owners, the RMD is calculated by dividing the December 31 prior-year balance by a divisor from the IRS Uniform Lifetime Table. The divisor shrinks a little every year, which means the percentage you must withdraw slowly rises with age. At 75, the divisor is 24.6. At 85, it is 16.0. At 95, it is 8.9.
A different table, the Joint Life and Last Survivor Expectancy Table, applies if your sole beneficiary is a spouse more than 10 years younger than you. This calculator uses the standard Uniform Lifetime Table.
SECURE 2.0 and the age 73 rule
The SECURE 2.0 Act pushed the required beginning age from 72 up to 73 for people born between 1951 and 1959. It rises again to 75 for those born in 1960 or later. Your first RMD can be delayed to April 1 of the year after you turn 73, but doing so means taking two RMDs in the same calendar year, which can push you into a higher tax bracket.
Penalties for missing an RMD
Missing an RMD used to trigger a brutal 50 percent excise tax. SECURE 2.0 reduced the penalty to 25 percent, and to 10 percent if you correct the shortfall promptly. Even so, the smart move is to withdraw at least the required amount on time and to double check the math each year.
Qualified Charitable Distributions
If you are age 70 and a half or older and are charitably inclined, a Qualified Charitable Distribution can send money directly from your IRA to a qualified charity. It counts toward your RMD and is excluded from taxable income, which is often a better outcome than taking the RMD as income and then donating separately.
RMD rules touch on tax law that changes frequently. Use this tool for a quick estimate, then confirm the exact amount with your account custodian or a tax professional before you make the withdrawal.